By Ryan Greenberg
Fireworks on offense were the name of the game Friday at Sparky Anderson Field as the Santa Barbara Foresters defeated the Conejo Oaks 11-7 on the road, thanks in part to a massive six-run third inning that featured a grand slam from Nate Voss. Voss recorded an additional home run and three RBIs in Friday’s contest to earn him player of the game honors. The Foresters offense also put up a sole run in five other innings to carry them to their 11-7 victory. Foresters fans, players, and coaches alike will be pleased to see such a thorough offensive performance with the regular season wrapping up Sunday and the NBC World Series beginning next week.
Both the Foresters and Oaks scored one run in the first inning, with Will Rogers singling to drive in Jalin Flores for the Foresters and Zach Daudet grounding out to shortstop to drive in Austin Carrillo. Voss then hit a solo home run, his first of two home runs, in the second inning for a 2-1 Foresters lead.
After a scoreless bottom of the second inning, the Foresters put up six runs to break the game wide open in the top of the third inning. Rogers picked up his second RBI of the contest on a double that scored Rocco Garza-Gongora. Rylan Galvan’s single then scored Rogers from second during the next at-bat. Voss then crushed his aforementioned grand slam, driving in Galvan, Ryan Black, and Dominic Hellman to expand the Foresters’ lead to 8-1.
The Oaks clawed three runs back in the bottom of the fourth inning to cut the Foresters’ lead to 8-4.
The Foresters three more runs in three separate innings, coming from Voss advancing across home plate on a fifth inning wild pitch, a seventh inning Garza-Gongora RBI single driving in Dane Dawson, and Voss finding himself on the scoresheet yet again in the eighth inning with an RBI single to drive in Galvan.
The Oaks scratched off an additional run in the seventh inning and another two runs in the ninth, thanks to Austin Carrillo’s seventh inning RBI single driving in Nick Leehy, and Mac Moyer and Carrillo coming across to score on a ninth inning Foresters error.
Zach Erdman started the game on the mound for the Foresters, going four innings and allowing four runs in an effort earning Friday’s win. Jacob Hughes relieved Erdman, going three innings without allowing an earned run, though one unearned run did come across to score. Rogers pitched one scoreless inning in his CCL pitching debut after starting at DH, and Rocco Garza-Gongora finished the game with one inning pitched after starting in CF, allowing two runs.
The Oaks pitching staff featured six arms today, with starter Tobias Plotkin getting charged with Friday’s loss.
The Foresters return home to Pershing Park Saturday to host the Oaks once more at 6:00 p.m. before Sunday’s regular season finale against the San Luis Obispo Blues at 2:00 p.m. at Pershing Park. All Foresters games can be heard live on 1290 AM radio; listen online or stream live via the Foresters’ website, www.sbforesters.org.
